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“Although the GSL has consistently denied supporting Karuna, on April 16 the Associated Press’ South Asia Bureau Chief Matthew Rosenberg (strictly protect) allowed PolOff to listen to tapes of his interview with Gothabaya. The Defense Secretary was effusive in his praise for Karuna and the benefits the GSL has obtained from Karuna’s rise.”the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Gota and Karuna

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “SECRET” and discuses Sri Lanka’s paramilitary operations. The cable was written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blakeon May 18, 2007.

Also, on April 16, Gothabaya personally telephoned editor of the Daily Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi and told her that Karuna was so upset by an article about the suffering of IDPs in the East that he thought Karuna would kill both her and the article’s author, referring to her as a “prostitute” (ref A). Liyanarachchi called Karuna, who assured her that he would not kill her and expressed displeasure that Gothabaya was using his name while threatening people.

Read the relevant part of the cable below;

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 06 COLOMBO 000728
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: GSL COMPLICITY IN PARAMILITARY
FACTIONS' HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
REF: A. COLOMBO 591
¶B. COLOMBO 561
¶C. COLOMBO 463
¶D. COLOMBO 460
¶E. 2006 COLOMBO 2056
¶F. 2006 COLOMBO 1896
¶G. 2005 COLOMBO 2157
¶H. 2004 COLOMBO 1219
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b, d)
¶1. (S) SUMMARY: Allegations of government complicity in
crimes committed by organized paramilitary groups have
mounted in the last year. Paramilitaries such as the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-breakaway Karuna
group and Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) have helped
the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to fight the LTTE, to
kidnap suspected LTTE collaborators, and to give the GSL a
measure of deniability. The GSL, which denies any links to
paramilitary groups, has recently touted its efforts to
improve its human rights record, such as the re-publication
of procedures on arrests and detentions and the appointment
of a "One-Man Commission" to investigate reported
disappearances (ref C). However, these efforts so far appear
aimed more at improving Sri Lanka's image abroad and have yet
to produce concrete improvements in the human rights
situation. Outside the capital, the incidence of human
rights abuses has continued, including extrajudicial
killings, abductions, child trafficking, extortion, and
prostitution. President Rajapaksa's government, strapped for
cash, has cut direct payments to paramilitaries initiated by
former President Kumaratunga and instead turns a blind eye to
extortion and kidnapping for ransom by EPDP and Karuna.
While many of the charges against the government have been
made in public fora, a growing number of trusted Embassy
contacts, often at personal risk, have described in detail
the extent of the GSL's involvement with paramilitary groups.
END SUMMARY.

¶12. (S) Although the GSL has consistently denied supporting
Karuna, on April 16 the Associated Press' South Asia Bureau
Chief Matthew Rosenberg (strictly protect) allowed PolOff to
listen to tapes of his interview with Gothabaya. The Defense
Secretary was effusive in his praise for Karuna and the
SIPDIS
benefits the GSL has obtained from Karuna's rise. Also, on
April 16, Gothabaya personally telephoned editor of the Daily
Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi and told her that Karuna was so
upset by an article about the suffering of IDPs in the East
that he thought Karuna would kill both her and the article's
author, referring to her as a "prostitute" (ref A).
Liyanarachchi called Karuna, who assured her that he would
not kill her and expressed displeasure that Gothabaya was
using his name while threatening people.
COLOMBO 00000728 004 OF 006

Latest comments

Piranha/September 16, 2013

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Karuna is the prostitute here. He allowed himself to be used by the regime for money and women. Gota, true form, used Karuna’s name to carry out his murders. The two murderers got together to kill so many people before, during and after the end of the till today.

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RajasH/September 16, 2013

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where is this Karuna these days?
has he been killed?

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mahasohon/September 16, 2013

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These two going to kiss and cuddle?

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shankar/September 16, 2013

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Gota seems to be a bully.A bully is also a coward they say.Especially he seems to take great pleasure in bullying women.So is a greater coward.

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Saro/September 16, 2013

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It’s an open secret that ex-fighters of LTTE and other groups such as Karuna, Pillaiyan, Devananda, Pathmanathan, Daya Master etc are kept as subservients in captivity under threat of death to them or their family to carry out dirty work including propaganda, abductions and murder. We all know sometime the master boss of white van operatives himself issued death threats to even editors of the media and by-passed judges in passing death sentence to ex- army general. Some foreign journalists have fallen into the trap of this powerful boss and conduct interviews with those captives as if they are free to express their own views and opinions.

Karuna has made so many criminal activities including killing more than 500 policemen who surrendered that he cannot see the light in his lifetime.

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Goatpaya is a cunning fox. UN should bring a strong solution for this bad governance by the so called politricks leaders. I wish the Rajapaka blood line to rot in hell and burn alive. May the Rajapaksa family die soon I pray to God.

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Neelan T/September 16, 2013

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[Edited out]

Keep it relevant. We know that some conversations can be wide-ranging, but if you post something which is unrelated to the original topic (“off-topic”) then it may be removed, in order to keep the thread on track. For more information read our comment policy; https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

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Rev.Devil/September 16, 2013

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Native Vedda/September 16, 2013

Donkeys were supposed to be the beast of burden, very useful to mankind (not womenhind) before the mankind invented the destructive motor vehicles.

My elders never discussed about donkeys going mad but they believe the stupid Tamils and stupid Sinhalese are born mad, irrespective of their level of literacy.

They also believe wisdom has nothing to do with literacy nor education. What do you think?

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Thiru/September 16, 2013

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Agreed, they should go back to the jungles to gain some wisdom from the natives. No wonder they keep away from the donkeys.

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Native Vedda/September 17, 2013

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Thiru

“No wonder they keep away from the donkeys.”

A spell in the jungle would do them and you good.

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Dentamitra/September 16, 2013

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“They also believe wisdom has nothing to do with literacy nor education. What do you think?”

I think for him ‘Wisdom’ is but his last tooth.

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Rev.Devil/September 16, 2013

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…..”wisdom has nothing to do with literacy nor education. What do you think?”

Yup !!

Knowledge alone does not produce wisdom.

Education should not be based on or limited by a nationalist agenda. Education must cultivate the wisdom to reject and resist violence in all its forms. It must foster people who intuitively understand and know—in their mind, in their heart, with their entire being—the irreplaceable value of human beings and the natural world.

Apart from this we two have already agreed on the subject ”stupidity of Tamils and Sinhalese” !!?

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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA/September 16, 2013

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It known Facts That SHIT EATING PIGS USED to Play With prostitutes [ MALE AN FEMALE]

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Fathima Fukushima/September 16, 2013

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mercy lanka/September 16, 2013

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most of the comments are pro L.T.T.E and against the present government who finished the 30 years of bloody tiger war

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punchinilame/September 16, 2013

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The link between Gota and Karuna is very deep – so much so that MoD
went out of the way to get a UK Visa on false gounds, as Karuna may
have produced some evidence of threats to his life over a Gota errand?

Karuna is not show-pieced for the NPC election platforms, nor KP etc
despite the boast of a Tamil front in the UPFA.

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bbs dayan/September 17, 2013

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Karuna can sing songs in Sinhalese and English! I hear he is a regular at posh night clubs in colombo! He does not face any discrimination from Sinhala women despite killing 500 sinhala policemen. that is the rajapakse miracle!

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